The Week Gone By

On Monday and Thursday this week, Graham started the day at a morning playgroup. The weather was quite wet on Monday which kept most other kids at home.

Only three kids capable of racing around and two babies were there. Graham didn't mind. He had plenty of space for him to drive.

On Monday afternoon Craig and Graham had to play for an hour and a half in a medical centre waiting area.

It was very dull and it is still a mystery why they needed to wait so long when so many other people came and went but the boys made good use of the centre's toys while they were there.

 Back at home, Graham continued to make good progress with using chopsticks.

He even insists on using them when a fork might be easier.

After it had rained every day in the week, Friday was merely overcast. Graham had a chance to play a playground he hadn't been to before.

 It's right next to Collaroy beach but otherwise is unremarkable.

The boys visited their cousin Bailey on Saturday but there aren't any photos. On Sunday, Dad couldn't think of anything better to do so they went to Narrabeen lagoon and fed the ducks again.

The ducks have learned to spot bread-carrying children very well.

They have to be pretty quick because the fish also get in quickly to eat any bread that hits the surface of the water.

After feeding the ducks they moved on to a playground nearby. The weather was beautiful and the boys played for more than an hour without starting to get bored.

There are many worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Mona Vale Rockpool

Last Thursday Craig went up to Mona Vale with his Dad. After their business was done, there was plenty of time to go for an afternoon stroll on the beach. They'd never been to Mona Vale beach and the weather was perfect. The rockpool not far from the northern end of the beach looks really nice in a well-worn way. It's not new.The concrete around the sides has been worn down in places and little sharp stones are sticking through.

It's not new.

Craig's Dad has had a lot of trouble explaining the way wave action replenishes the water in these pools at one end and is then allowed to flow out the other end. So, a short video was taken to show one part of the process.

Standing not far away from the pool on the rock platform was a really tall pelican. Sadly, due to a lack of photographic skill the bird looks small in this picture. It was taller than Craig in real life and really worth a (good) photo.

Just Another Weekend

Craig and Graham have adapted to life in Australia without any dramas. Living just a short drive from the beach is one thing they've liked. Last Saturday they were on the sand again for a couple of hours.

Taking a break from digging in the sand to sit on Mum's beach chair is all part of the fun. Well, if you're sitting on your brother, it is.

Even though it was a warm sunny Saturday afternoon Dee Why beach wasn't especially crowded. The boys only left because dark clouds were approaching.

On Sunday the boys played in a boring playground that was too dull to be photographed. Because the playground was next to Long Reef the boys went for a walk towards the headland. They hadn't walked very far when they noticed pelicans perched on lamp posts.

It was an unusual sight, so photos were taken.

The arrival of a fifth pelican meant a few more photos were necessary.

But the mini-mystery of why these normally solitary birds had congregated remained unsolved.

They really are much bigger than the pictures suggest.

The mystery was solved when a man parked his car on a nearby boat ramp and began cleaning freshly caught fish at a little table that the local council provides for just that purpose.

The pelicans dropped down from their high perch to enjoy the free fish!

The seagulls hardly got anything.

At the top of Long Reef headland Craig was not happy about having to walk all the way up while Graham had been carried a significant part of the distance.

In the end they didn't stay to appreciate the view for very long. When they got back home there was plenty of time to play in the park downstairs. Climbing trees is more like Craig's idea of fun.

Big Trip and Arrival

When the time came for the boys to make their big trip to Australia a 4-hour flight delay meant they had some extra time in Singapore Airport. They both handled it pretty well even when they were awake well past their usual bedtime and didn't get on the plane until after midnight.

Both slept on the plane but not very soundly. That meant they napped during the one hour-long $105 taxi ride to reach their new home on Sydney's Northern Beaches. They also needed to wear some of their warmest clothes.

There was no food at home so the boys needed to walk about 2km to the local shops. By the time they found a place to eat and then waited for 15 minutes for fish and chips to make it onto the table, Graham was starving.

Dinner that night was also very simple supermarket pizza. It didn't matter that it wasn't very tasty, something to fill the gaps was all they needed. Plus, everyone was so tired after the long flight that bedtime came very quickly.